2021 Subaru Forester Problems, Recalls & Reliability
285 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Subaru Forester, alongside 0 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 30/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 4,650 miles.
Typical
Where 2021 sits among all Forester years
What owners report
“A small rock hit the top driver’s corner of the windshield and led to 2 continuous cracks which extended to the middle of the windshield.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Forester
“Windshield cracked after it was hit by a rock. I have been told there is windshield issues with this vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Forester
“I parked in the parking lot yesterday afternoon. But when I try to start my car this morning, the battery deadï¼I just bought this new Subaru three months with 5000 miles. Very disappointed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Forester
“I’ve owned the vehicle under a year and am already on my second window replacement. I drive the same route everyday and ever experienced windows cracking in any other vehicle before this vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Forester
“Vehicle auto start stop feature sporadically fails to start vehicle after stop feature stringers. Happened on multiple occasions, at red light, at stop sign, on freeway during traffic jams.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Forester
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 39 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 9,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 3,400 and 24,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls
No recall campaigns on file for the 2021 Subaru Forester.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2021 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2021 Subaru Forester drew 285 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 30/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2021 Subaru Forester problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Subaru Forester are visibility & wipers (90 complaints), other (42), and electrical (34).
At what mileage do 2021 Subaru Forester problems show up?
Owners most often report 2021 Subaru Forester problems around 9,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 3,400 and 24,000 miles.
Does the 2021 Subaru Forester have recalls?
No recall campaigns are on file for the 2021 Subaru Forester. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check the VIN before buying.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.